Sunlight streamed in through the parted curtains. Its soft rays fell across the sofa in the main room. Kala sat with her back to the window, with Raken and Hein beside her, keeping her company.
There was no sound other than the faint rustle of pages from the book Kala was reading. Her eyes moved steadily, tracing each letter, weaving them into words, then into a story.
The clink of glass against its saucer broke the silence. Hein sipped his tea with quiet reverence. During their stay at the villa, he had barely worked—far too relaxed compared to his life back home. Here, it felt like rest, something he had longed for. Back there, responsibilities came endlessly, without pause.
Hein glanced at Raken, who was also watching the novel Kala was reading, his arm resting along the back of the sofa, his body slightly angled toward her. From Hein's perspective, the two looked like a painting—one filled with love and a quiet sense of peace.
Hein had to admit, Raken was extraordinary. Never had he encountered a being who could rival him. That was why Raken had always remained untouchable, constantly guarding himself against anyone who tried to get close. Yet now, that same heartless man had made Kala his axis—the center of everything he upheld. A single point for which he would risk anything, even for a fragile human like her.
Damn it, they seemed as though they were meant to exist together. Raken became someone entirely different whenever Kala was involved.
"If we ever ran into a tiger, what would you do?" Kala's voice broke the silence, snapping Hein out of his thoughts.
"I'd leave you behind, of course. Save myself," Hein replied casually, setting his teacup back onto the saucer.
"Hey… there's no way you'd leave a girl this pretty, cute, and gentle," Kala shot back with a bright smile, her brows wiggling playfully.
"He would," Raken said, leaning back fully.
"What about you, Ken?"
"What else? I'd watch you fight the tiger."
"Such a joy, being friends with wild animals like you two. Stay healthy, yeah." Kala's smile lingered for a brief second before disappearing.
She couldn't understand them. How could they so easily sacrifice a beautiful girl like her to become a wild animal's meal?
"I want ice cream. Strawberry." With that, Kala stood up and headed outside.
She made her way toward the back. She missed the pig Hein had caught the day before. But as she approached, her eyes widened. The pig was gone. Only the enclosure remained—with a rabbit inside, and the door still closed.
So who let the pig out? It couldn't possibly open the door itself, right? Might as well say it asked permission first, just to sound more human.
A fleeting memory struck her.
Kala remembered how Raken had insisted it was a chicken—when she had clearly seen a pig. As if the animal could change its form so easily.
Still standing in front of the enclosure, Kala suddenly locked eyes with the rabbit. Its gaze was fixed on her. A flicker of violet flashed in its eyes for a split second before vanishing, replaced by what looked like a smile—almost as if the creature knew how to do it.
A smile filled with meaning. As though it recognized her.
Heat surged through Kala's body. Her hands trembled slightly.
Fear.
"What's wrong, Miss?"
Kala jolted at Hein's voice behind her. Her blood surged from head to toe. She quickly turned around.
Ah… just her imagination, she told herself.
"Hein, did you swap the pig from yesterday with this rabbit?" Kala pointed toward the enclosure, prompting Hein to look.
"If I told you that pig turned into a rabbit, would you believe me?"
"Who do you think you're fooling?"
Yet doubt crept in. Hein's serious tone made Kala question her own sanity.
A sigh from Hein snapped her out of it.
"Yeah, who would believe that," he said with a shrug before turning and walking back into the villa, leaving Kala alone—trapped between sanity and madness. She wanted to deny it, but the evidence pointed otherwise.
As Hein disappeared inside, Raken came out to approach her.
"The ice cream's ready. I added lots of strawberries."
"Ken… I think my sanity needs to be questioned." Kala stared straight ahead, back at the black rabbit in the enclosure.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm crazy, Ken!" She grabbed both of Raken's hands, laughing as she bounced around him.
"True. You are."
They all gathered at the dining table to enjoy the strawberry ice cream Raken had made. Kala had said it before—Raken was perfect. There was nothing he couldn't do.
How could she not be afraid of losing him?
"Kala, eat quickly. It's starting to melt." Raken wiped the melted ice cream from her hands. He had piled her portion high, knowing how much she loved strawberry ice cream. Yet instead of eating, Kala simply held the glass with both hands, her gaze drifting somewhere far away.
"Look, Ken. This ice cream started melting after just five minutes. Imagine if you smiled at it."
"Good grief." Raken sighed, then turned to Hein, who was eating calmly. "What exactly have you done to her?"
"You're accusing me? So our friendship means nothing to you?" Hein said, putting on an overly dramatic sad expression.
"I regret telling you to act informal around me."
Time passed quickly. Seconds turned into minutes, and soon the sky outside was painted in shades of dusk. That quiet, fleeting moment between day and night—beautiful, yet often unnoticed. The way darkness slowly pierced through the fading sun, making way for the bright orb that would soon rise.
Kala stretched out on the sofa, letting the television play before her. Raken busied himself in the kitchen, finishing tasks he hadn't completed earlier. Every so often, he glanced at Kala, feeling relieved to see her sitting quietly, absorbed in her favorite drama.
No one noticed the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips—just from her small movements, or the way her laughter reached his ears. His actions would often pause whenever he caught her absentmindedly scratching parts of her body.
"You spoil her too much, Raken," Hein whispered.
Raken straightened, then resumed drying the dishes.
"Anyone from the kingdom would cry blood if they saw you like this."
"What's wrong with how I am?"
Hein shook his head, as if words weren't enough to express how absurd it all was.
"How long are you going to keep hiding everything?"
Raken knew exactly where this was going. From the beginning, he had sensed Hein's reluctance toward Kala. Whether it was because she was human—or because Hein understood just how highly Raken placed her.
"As long as I can," Raken replied, continuing to arrange the glasses after drying them.
"Don't get me wrong. I just don't want her to get hurt. What if you go too far? Our world is different from hers, Raken. I'm afraid she'll cling to you so tightly that she won't be able to let go—even if she wants to."
"What are you thinking? She and I will never become anything like what you're imagining." Raken looked at Hein for a moment before his gaze drifted back to Kala across the room.
"How can you be so sure?"
The sound of the television filled the silence. Raken said nothing. He simply exhaled softly and continued wiping the table.
"Raken, you have to tell her the truth about us if you don't want to hurt her."
Raken remained silent even after Hein disappeared from view. Her words echoed in his mind. Not once had he imagined a day where he would reveal his true identity. He had almost forgotten where he came from—until everything changed.
The human world and the immortal world had begun to overlap.
And one of them was now targeting Kala.
Even as he tried to push the thoughts away, his mind remained restless. It was already nine at night when he lay down. With each passing day, he felt an increasing need to protect Kala. His worries grew—even over the smallest things.
She had truly become his anchor.
But what if Kala found out that Raken was something that shouldn't exist in her world? What if she realized he was nothing more than a terrifying entity from another realm?
Raken wasn't created to protect.
He existed to bring destruction.
Needing fresh air, Raken got up and left his room. He walked aimlessly, trusting his feet to guide him, until he found himself in the front yard.
Birds flew through the darkness, searching for branches to rest on. The sky was empty tonight—no stars, no moon. Just an endless stretch of black.
Then—
A figure caught his full attention.
Someone stood in the yard, their back turned. The distance didn't stop him from recognizing them.
The hair… too familiar. The figure, slender.
"Kala?"
No response.
The figure simply walked away.
And without realizing it—
Raken followed.
Something felt… wrong.
Yet his feet kept moving.